1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Plasma Display Panel (PDP) and, more particularly, to a PDP having improved light emission efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a PDP is a light-emitting device for displaying an image using a gas discharge. The PDP provides excellent display capabilities in terms of display capacity, brightness, contrast, image retention, and viewing angle, such that it is becoming popular as a substitute for a CRT. A DC or AC voltage is supplied to electrodes to generate a gas discharge between the electrodes to emit ultraviolet (UV) light rays, and the UV light rays excite phosphor materials to generate visible light rays.
An AC PDP includes front and rear substrates which are bonded together to form an integrated body and are separated from each other by barrier ribs interposed therebetween. The front substrate includes X-electrodes and Y-electrodes which are sustain discharge electrodes. The rear substrate includes address electrodes. The barrier ribs have a phosphor layer formed thereon. Discharge cells partitioned by the barrier ribs disposed between the two substrates are filled with an inert gas such as Ne—Xe.
When an addressing voltage and a scan pulse are supplied to the address electrode and the Y-electrode, respectively, an address discharge occurs between the two electrodes so that a discharge cell is selected. Wall charges are formed within the selected discharge cell.
Subsequently, when a sustain discharge voltage is supplied to the X- and Y-electrodes, electrons and ions formed on the X- and Y-electrodes migrate between the X- and Y-electrodes. The sustain discharge voltage is added to a wall voltage formed by the wall charge to exceed a discharge initiation voltage. As a result, a sustain discharge occurs in the discharge cell.
During a sustain discharge period, UV light rays impinge on a phosphor layer in the discharge cell to create visible light rays, whereby each pixel formed in the discharge cell forms an image.
That is, the PDP is a three-electrode PDP where X- and Y-electrodes are provided on the front substrates of the discharge cell and an address electrode is provided on the middle of the rear substrate of the discharge cell intersecting the X- and Y-electrodes.
Accordingly, the three-electrode PDP has a poor light-emitting efficiency since the distance between the X- and Y-electrodes is kept short. Furthermore, since the X- and Y-electrodes are provided on the front substrate, a surface discharge is difficult and visible light rays emitted from the discharge cells are blocked, thereby decreasing the light emission efficiency.